Snow-fence.



G. M. RHOADES.

SNOW FENCE APPLICATXON FILED JUNE 7. 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

wifneooeo GEORGE 1V1. RHOADES, 015 ASHTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SNOW-FENCE.

Application filed June 7, 1915. Serial No. 32,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. RHOADES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashton, in the county of Spink, State of Eouth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snow-Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fences or barriers and is particularly directed to the provision of such a device for use to prevent the drifting of snow, such devices being in use along railroads particularly in mountainous countries to prevent the drifting of snow over the tracks.

It is desirable to provide such devices which are of a knock-down nature, so that they may be readily transported from place toplace and set up, as the necessity therefor arises, and it is the object of the present invention to provide such a fence or barrier which is of a knock-down nature and which may be very readily set up in operative position and may be collapsed to occupy cornparatively a very small space.

It is further an object to provide such a structure wherein the inclination thereof with respect to the ground may be adjusted readily to adapt it for use under various conditions of service.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts as more fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claim.

' Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snow fence structure constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved fence structure; Fig. 3 is an end edge view thereof, showing an adjusted position of the fence in dotted lines; Fig. at is a detail sectional view on the line 4- of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper portion of one of the posts Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Dec. as, 1915.

of the fence; and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the panel structure of the fence.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the improved fence structure is shown as comprising a pair of end posts 5 which are preferably formed of strips of sheet metal and which have their side edge portions bent backwardly upon their major portions as at 6 to form channels for receiving the ends of the panel members of the fence. A base is provided for each of these posts and comprises a strip 7 of sheet metal bent longitudinally through its center and having its side portions bent outwardly to provide base flanges 8 through which are passed spikes 9 securing the base to the ground. The lower end of each post 5 is pivoted at 10 to one end portion of a base, and pivoted to the upper end of each post is a brace 11 which is adapted to be adjustably connected to the base through the medium of a bolt 19 passed through the brace and selectively passed through one of a series of openings 13 in the other end portion of the base. Thus the post may be ad justably held at any desired inclination to the vertical to adapt the fence for use under different conditions of service.

The 'panel portion of the fence comprises a plurality of metal strips 14f which have their ends laterally directed at 15 to engage in the channels formed by the sides 6 of the posts whereby they are held. These strips are connected together at their end portions by chain sections 16, to provide aflexible body portion. To provide a readily adjustable means for holding the panel body of the fence at any desired elevation, chain sec tions 17 are secured to the ends of the top strip 14: and are trained about pulleys 18 carried by the top portions of the post and have certain of their links selectively engaged with hooks 19 carried by the brace members 11.

A very simple structure has thus been provided, which is fully adjustable to meet various conditions of service and which may be readily disassembled and collapsed to occupy comparatively small space when not in use. In collapsing the end post structures the bolts 12 are removed and the braces swung to lie along the posts and the posts are then swung to lie along the base memhere.

What is claimed is tions slidably engaged in said channels and 10 A fence structure of the class described means for adjustably holding said panel comprising a pair of base members, posts strips.

ipivoted to adjacent end portions of the base In testimony whereof, I aflix my signamembers, braces pivoted to the posts and ture, in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

adjustably and detachably connected to the v GEORGE M. RHOADES. base members, holding channel portions Witnesses: formed on said posts, a plurality of flexibly HENRY LAMBERT, connected panel strips having their end por-' WILLIAM H. FRANCIS.

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

